Primary specifications
Input watts come from the linked manufacturer pages, captured on 16 September 2026. This update changes the tariff, not that specification snapshot. Each included active mode is a separate row.
Better Home Climate data
UK dehumidifier running cost index.
What popular models cost at their published input power, calculated against the current Great Britain price-cap electricity rate. Change the tariff and routine below.
Rated cost per hour3.58p–17.40pat 26.32p/kWh
Eight hours a day£8.59–£41.75over 30 days at rated input
Starting unit rate26.32p/kWhOct–Dec 2026 · GB · Direct Debit
The useful comparison
Hourly input cost is only the first half of the answer.
At the default rate, the listed compressor models cost about 3.58p–6.58p per hour at their stated 20°C / 60% RH input. The listed active desiccant modes span about 7.90p–17.40p per hour.
That does not mean the lowest-wattage machine completes every job most cheaply. A larger unit can finish sooner, a humidistat can cycle the compressor, and desiccant models can retain useful extraction in colder rooms. Compare measured kWh for the same finished outcome whenever possible.
Change the assumptions
Use your tariff and routine.
The table updates instantly. Rated input is held at 100%, so these are comparable input-cost scenarios—not forecasts of how long each machine will run.
Your table uses the entered assumptions. The CSV download is the fixed October baseline: 26.32p/kWh, 8 hours daily, 30 days—not a personalised export.
| Model and mode | Technology | Rated input | Per hour | Per day | 30-day period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MeacoDry Arete Two 10LPublished condition · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Compressor | 136 W | 3.58p | £0.29 | £8.5932.6 kWh |
| MeacoDry Arete Two 12LPublished condition · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Compressor | 136 W | 3.58p | £0.29 | £8.5932.6 kWh |
| MeacoDry Arete One 12LPublished condition · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Compressor | 151 W | 3.97p | £0.32 | £9.5436.2 kWh |
| MeacoDry Arete Two 20LPublished condition · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Compressor | 207 W | 5.45p | £0.44 | £13.0849.7 kWh |
| MeacoDry Arete Two 25LPublished condition · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Compressor | 250 W | 6.58p | £0.53 | £15.7960.0 kWh |
| EcoAir DD1 Classic MK6Low · Manufacturer-rated modeSource ↗ | Desiccant | 300 W | 7.90p | £0.63 | £18.9572.0 kWh |
| Meaco DD8L ZambeziLow · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Desiccant | 351 W | 9.24p | £0.74 | £22.1784.2 kWh |
| EcoAir DD1 Classic MK6High · Manufacturer-rated modeSource ↗ | Desiccant | 580 W | 15.27p | £1.22 | £36.64139.2 kWh |
| Meaco DD8L ZambeziMedium · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Desiccant | 656 W | 17.27p | £1.38 | £41.44157.4 kWh |
| Meaco DD8L ZambeziHigh · 20°C / 60% RHSource ↗ | Desiccant | 661 W | 17.40p | £1.39 | £41.75158.6 kWh |
A lower cost per rated hour does not prove a lower cost for the completed job. Compressor cycling, room temperature, target humidity, fan setting and moisture load all change total energy use.
Method and limitations
Reproducible by design.
One visible formula
Cost = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × electricity price. The table assumes rated input throughout the selected runtime.
Current default rate
The 26.32p/kWh example covers GB Direct Debit price-cap tariffs for 1 October–31 December 2026, not Northern Ireland. Use your billed rate. Standing charge is excluded; the published rate already reflects the period's VAT change, so we add no VAT.
No invented test result
This is a specification dataset, not a hands-on energy test. We do not turn manufacturer wattage into a claim about task completion or product quality.
Sources
Inspect every input.
All calculations are generated from the source-linked wattage in the table. The electricity-rate source and model pages are kept separate so either can be updated without disguising a change in method.
- Ofgem: October–December 2026 tariff and VAT basis ↗
- Meaco: current dehumidifier range and specifications ↗
- EcoAir: DD1 Classic MK6 specification ↗
October baseline: 8 hours daily for 30 days at 26.32p/kWh. The download is generated from the same wattages and formula as this table. September archive (.csv) remains unchanged at 26.11p/kWh; it is not the current default.
Journalists, housing teams and publishers may reuse the figures with attribution and a link to this page. The downloadable dataset is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Make it personal